Here at the office, we love all the bikes we sell and we try not to play favorites too often, but something about Bianchi bikes makes it our pick of the litter with its road bike offerings. Great looking, sublime ride qualities, and a list of palmares that other brands can only dream of, Bianchi bikes are steeped in tradition yet continue to develop and evolve in a sport where speeds are only getting faster and the difference between first and second is often just the width of a tire. The Oltre is the epitome of a road race machine and is the go-to frame choice for Bianchi's pro teams for every race except the brutal cobbles of Roubaix. Even in the high mountains, where we would expect GC riders on the uber-lightweight Specialissima, the team calls on the Oltre as its superior aerodynamics take precedence over chasing grams. Bianchi is rich with racing experience and it takes this feedback into consideration when developing its frames and the XR4 is no exception. By partnering with teams that race at the highest level, framesets get pretty well refined, and while we'd like to think that we can exploit the bike's potential like these pros, the fact is we never will; however, the upshot is we know we don't have an excuse with our equipment. Something about riding a pro-level bike and knowing that our equipment is the same as theirs makes us want to ride harder and longer. The ride of the XR4 is very, very fast. This Oltre is plenty responsive to encourage challenging every sprint thanks to its oversized tubes, press-fit bottom bracket, and high-modulus carbon fiber layup. Those traits typically make a frame ride harsh, however, Bianchi's patented Countervail technology is designed to quell high-frequency road vibrations in order to counter the bike's stiff efficiency. The frame loves the open road and absolutely crushes the flats, however, it's right at home devouring punchy, classic-esque bergs or long, grueling mountain passes alike and the Oltre XR4 never leav...
